Official 12/19 ROH Newswire

- Thank you to everyone who attended Final Battle 2013 last Saturday despite the treacherous weather. The jam packed Hammerstein Ballroom hosted one of the best events of the year and you can see all of the action NOW on VOD right HERE.

- Last Saturday night at Final Battle 2013, ROH World Champion Adam Cole retained his title and revealed Matt Hardy as his new mentor. After the match, Cole and Hardy attacked Michael Elgin and Jay Briscoe. As the Hammerstein Ballroom booed, it looked like Final Battle would end with the new alliance Adam Cole and Matt Hardy standing tall. Suddenly – CHRIS HERO RETURNED! Hero knocked out Matt Hardy and the champion with elbows and declared to the world that he is back. ROH Officials can now confirm that Chris Hero has been added to upcoming ROH live events in Nashville, Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia!

- Signed yesterday, Adam Cole & Matt Hardy will battle Mark & Jay Briscoe and Chris Hero & Michael Elgin in a 3-Way Elimination Tag match at Wrestling’s Finest on Saturday night, January 25, 2014 from the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh! Despite Matt Hardy fulfilling his contractual obligations to ROH last Saturday, Nigel has signed this match given the hostile circumstances with all of the players involved.

- After Steel Cage Warfare last summer, Adam Cole came out after the match to watch the aftermath for an unknown reason. Was this regarding Matt Hardy? Was there a relationship between the two men at this time? Remember that it was around that time when Adam Cole started to stress the importance of “wins and losses” and it brought about a noticeable change in his attitude. It is highly possible that Hardy was the one influencing his change in attitude all along.

- Everyone is shocked at what happened after the tag team match last Saturday that was designed to say goodbye for now to “Die Hard” Eddie Edwards. Roderick Strong, Jimmy Jacobs and BJ Whitmer are now known as “The Decade” and claim that they are the one constant that has been in ROH for the last 10 years. They claim to get no appreciation while everyone praises those who leave ROH and those who come back to ROH. So many unanswered questions… Was BJ Whitmer’s retirement speech a ruse all along? How long have these 3 men been plotting this? How will Nigel McGuinness react? While Nigel has not commented in detail on the incident, he has confirmed that all three of these men will be in Nashville on January 4th to explain themselves.

- Congratulations to the NEW ROH World Television Champion Tommaso Ciampa who defeated Matt Taven last Saturday to become the 8th TV Champion.

- Speaking of the TV Champion, Tommaso Ciampa has issued a challenge to Jay Lethal!

- Outlaw Inc. (Eddie Kingston & Homicide) have been suspended for their actions after their ROH Tag Team Title match last Saturday. After losing, Outlaw Inc. jumped the guard rails and their reckless behavior in the crowd is a liability that ROH can not afford to have. Fortunately nobody was seriously injured.

- As speculated, Kevin Steen and Michael Bennett arguably stole the show last Saturday in a brutal stretcher match that saw both men tear each other apart. After the match, Maria Kanellis was laid out by Steen causing undisclosed injuries. Even though the majority of people feel she deserved it, we wish Maria a speedy recovery. In addition, Kevin Steen was reportedly fined for his actions post match which he gladly paid.

- The Ring of Honor 2014 Top Prospect Tournament begins on January 4th, 2014 in Nashville, TN and all of the participants have been announced! The tournament is extremely diverse and over half of the participants were selected from the ROH Seminar/Try-Out camps including COREY HOLLIS, RAYMOND ROWE, “THE BENCHMARK” BILL DALY, CHEESEBURGER, ANDREW EVERETT, THE ROMANTIC TOUCH, KONGO, and HANSON. Congratulations to all of the men selected for working hard and earning this very elite opportunity. Not only were the participants selected based on hard work and skill but there was a strong effort to have an mixture of styles and personalities. ROH Talent Scout Prince Nana is especially happy considering he has been supplying the ROH Seminars/Try-Outs with talent from all over the world.

- The Young Bucks will return in 2014.

- A fun match taped before Final Battle 2013… Brutal Bob & Cheeseburger vs. Team Benchmark (Bill Daly & Will Ferrara) will be available for viewing to Ringside Members this week.

- This weeks episode of Ring of Honor Wrestling TV is dedicated to the rise of the current ROH World Champion Adam Cole. Relive Adam Cole’s entire ROH career on his way to becoming the best wrestler on the roster today.

- 3 great DVD’s have hit the ROH Store this week and are ready to ship! GLORY BY HONOR XII: CHAMPIONS VS ALL STARS from Chicago Ridge, IL, THE GOLDEN DREAM from Cincinnati, OH and BRYAN DANIELSON: THE FINAL COUNTDOWN are now available and ready to be added to your DVD collection. Check out the ROH Store right HERE

- The latest edition of Ring of Honor Wrestling TV is now available to RINGSIDE MEMBERS right HERE and the main event features the biggest match in the careers of Caprice Coleman and Cedric Alexander as they challenge reDRagon for the ROH World Tag Team Titles! In addition, ROH World Champion Adam Cole faces ACH in a Proving Ground match and much more.

- Our 12th Anniversary is approaching and we suggest making your plans now to celebrate with us live on Friday, February 21st and Saturday, February 22nd, 2014 at the Pennsylvania National Guard Armory in Philadelphia, PA! Tickets are on-sale right HERE.

- Check out our Twitter & Facebook for all of the latest news, info, and photos!